Grading-machine.



G. H. FOLEY.

GRADING MACHINE. AP-PLIOATION FILED APR.29, 1911.

1 ,O75,77%. Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses At'forneyS C. H. FOLEY.

GRADING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 29, 1911.

1,@75,7'M, Patented 001.14, 1913.

n n v z 171%;9 J

Attorneys G. H. FOLEY.

GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1911.

2; 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses CLES H. FOLEY, 0F SHERMAN, TS.

GRADING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (let. id, 1913..

Application filed April 29, 1911. Serial No. 624,056.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. FOLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sherman, in the county of Grayson and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Grading-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in grading machines, the primary object of the invention being the rovision of a motor driven grading machine, provided with means for driving the grading drum at a fixed speed, means for driving the main drive wheels at avariable speed, and means for adjusting the axis of the drive wheels whereby the grading wheel may be brought closer to or move farther away from the surface to be acted upon.

A further object is. to provide a grading wheel or drum, which may be used for grading, tamping and as a roller, the frame of the machine being so mounted as to, if desired practically place all of the weight upon the drum when used as roller so as to elevate the traction wheels above the ground, thus permitting the roller to act as a traction wheel to propel the machine and at the same time concentrate the weight at the desired point.

' A further object is to provide a grading machine having dirt ..rece1ving and deliverery mechanism, which is operable from the motor through the medium of the ader drum, thus insuring a uniform spee relation between the drum and said mechanism.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the detailsof construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine, the rear conveyer belt being'shown in cross section. Fig. 2 is a view taken from the opposite side of the machine, the rear wheels being in their lowest position and the grading drum, acting as a roller. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine, the rear conveyer belt being broken away. Fig. at is an end view of the grader drum showing the details of con struction thereof, and the detachable fastenings for the plows, Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line w-m, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the means for elevatmg or lowering the frame to regulate the positioning of the grading drum relatively to the surface traversed.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main frame of my machine,

which has suitably mounted in the forward end thereof, the pivoted yoke 2, carrying the steering roller 3, while extending rearwardly from said yoke, is a frame 4, to which are connected the cables 5, forming with the drum 6, and steering wheel 7, the steering gear of this machine.

In the rear of the frame, are journaled the two drive wheels 8, the mountin of which will be later described, but whlch are so mounted as to support the rear end of the machine. The boxes 9 carry the axle of the said wheels 8, and by I screws 10, and hand wheels 11, the said boxes 9 may be adjusted relatively to the frame of the machine, the purpose of which will. presently appear.

'Mounted in the forward portion of the frame, to the rear of the forward roller, is the motor 12, which may be either operated by steam, or of the explosive type. This motors drive shaft 13, carries at its ends the two balance or fl wheels 14 and 14, which through the me ium of the bevel gears a' means of the feed and b, transmit motion to the two short shafts 15 and 15, respectively, said short shafts being journaled to the sides of the frame-and operating the grading drum 30, through the medium of the small bevel gears 16 and 16, and the gearing 31 and 31, or said drum. By this means the grading drum 30 is revolved, and as the same is geared to the engine shaft 13, the speed of the grading drum is regulated directly by the speed of said engine.

The shaft 15, is provided with a sprocket wheel 17, which by means of the chain 18 and sprocket 19, transmits motion to the shaft 20, which is journaled upon one side of the frame of the machine, and is provided of the teeth 47 of the drum 30, so that a light or heavy cut may be made while the .cording to the manipulation of the variable speed mechanism while the drum 30 is rotated at all times at a fixed speed according to'the speed of the engine and the gearing t-herebetween. This shaft 24 carries the sprocket wheels 25, the chains 26, transmitting power therefrom through the large sprockets 27, of the rear drive wheels 8, said drive wheels being provided with the gripping or friction strips 28, and having their shaft journaled in the lower end of the swingingly mounted brackets 29, thus permitting the rear drive wheels to be adjusted, relatively to the main frame, Without affecting the operation of the chains 26, the said brackets having the same axis as the shaft 24.

Meshing with the gearing 31, of the drum 30, is a small bevel gear 32, whose shaft 33, is journaled upon the side of the main frame and extends rearwardly to transmit power to the dirt conveying belts 37 and 43, respectively. To accomplish this, the small bevel gear 34, upon the shaft 33, meshes with the large bevel gear 35, mounted upon the transverse shaft 36, which through the medium of the drum 36, carried thereby transmits motion to the rearwardly moving conveyer belt 37. The forward end of this belt is mounted upon the shaft 38 and drum 3.9, and is disposed below the main frame and within the same, just to the rear of the gra ding drum, whereby dirt lifted by said grading drum is dumped upon the conveyer belt- 3'7, and its transverse strips 37 prevent the dirt from falling, so that the said dirt is carried inclinedly upward, and dumped upon the conveyer belt 43, to be carried away from the machine, or conveyed into dump wagons. The bracket 40, secured to the underside of the main frame of the machine, supports the shaft 38, of the conveyer belt 37, thus holding the lower end of the conveyer belt 37 at the same relative position to the grading drum 30.

By means of the gear 35 and the small gear 41, the shaft 42 is revolved to actuate the crosswise dirt receiving and conveying belt 43.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the grading drum 30, consists of the castings. or, spiders 44, to the outer ones of which are attached the gearings 3.1, and the steel cylindrical drum 45, which is provided with the irregul-arly shaped openings 46, therein for the re and of the movable insertion and fastening of the grading plows 47, whose shank 48, enters said openings 46, and is locked therein by means of the nut 49.

When it is desired-to use my machine for rolling entirely, the plows are moved from the drum 30, and the belt 37 is also removed;

and the rear drive wheels adjusted, as in Fig. 2, to bring the drum 30 into contact with the surface to be rolled. Should the machinebe used for tamping, the plows are removed and tamping feet inserted in the, drum 30, in the same manner as the plows 47.

It is evident from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, that a machine adapted .for rolling lands, and roads, and grading and tamping road surfaces is provided, the machine being so constructed that the grading drum may be easily and quickly adjusted for the desired cut, and further that the grading drum may be operated at a regular or fixed speed, whereas the driving mechanism, although employing the same motor power, may be varied, as the work may require.

Vhen it is desired that the weight of the machine be concentrated upon the drum 30, the hand wheels 11 are rotated so as to lift the traction wheels above the surface and consequently lower the drum 30, the wheel 3 and the drum 30 being the only rolling members in engagement with the ground at that time, thus converting the drum 30 into a traction means, and as before stated cons centrating the full weight of the machine or nearly so, upon the roller 3.0. This is especially desirable when grading roads when it is not desirable to cut the surface with the traction spnds carried by the traction wheels.

By constructing a machine according to the present invention, an exceedingly light frame and traction means is provided, and by reason of the adjustable feature at the forward end and of the rear traction wheels of the machine, the roller or drum 30 may be elevated as in Fig. 1 or lowered as in Fig. 2, but where it is desired as above stated, to provide a roller entirely,

the traction wheels are elevated so as not to contact the surface, and at which time the said wheels are disconnected from the motor so as to remain idle.

One of the salient or cardinal features of the present invention resides in the fact that the lower or receiving end of the inclined conveyer belt 37 stands below the back of the drum 30 and slightly below a plane tangent to. the bottom of the said drum, whereby the lower end of the conveyer belt 37 serves as a scoop to receive the material loosened by the grading drum. A month will he provided between the lower conveyer belt 8.7 an h gr ng drum, through which the teeth of the grading drum pass, and in order that the material may be effectively lifted onto the upper run of the conveyer belt 37, both by the scooping action of the lower end of the belt 37, and the rearward throw given the material; by the grading drum. The frame 1 embodies side beams which carry the grading drum 30 therebetween, the rear driving wheels 8 being adjustably connected to the said beams, whereby the beams may be adjusted vertically to vary the relation of the grading drum and lower end of the conveyer belt 37 with the soil. The conveyer belt 37 is disposed between the driving wheels 8, so that it will be apparent that the material is elevated between the rear driving wheels to the transverse conveyer belt 43. The brackets are in the form of hangers or pendants suspended from the side beams of the frame 1, the drum or roller 39 for the lower end of the conveyer belt 37 being of relatively small diameter, in order that the lower end of the said conveyer belt may properly wedge under the material loosened by the grading drum. The drum or roller 36 for the upper end of the conveyer belt 37 is of relatively large diameter, in order to space the upper and lower runs of the conveyer belt considerably apart, it being observed that the axle of the rear driving wheels passes between the upper and lower runs of the conveyer belt 37 in order that the said axle may be adjusted vertically between the upper and lower runs of the conveyer belt 37 relative to the side beams of the frame 1. The hangers or pendants 40 maintain the shaft 38 and its drum or rollers 39 at the proper position below the back of the grading drum 30, and below a plane tangent to the bottom of the grading drum, in order that the aforesaid results will accrue in the use of the machine.

What is claimed, is

lln-a grading machine, a frame embodying sidebeams, rear driving wheels, an axle for the driving wheels adjustably connected to the respective beams, a grading drum carriedby the beams in advance of the driving wheels, hangers carried by the beams, a roller of relatively'smaller diameter carried by the hangers'below the back of the drum and slightly below a plane tangent to the bottom of the drum, a roller of relatively large diameter carried by the beams, a conveyer belt trained over the said rollers, the

said axle extending between the upper and lower runs of the conveyer belt, and means for actuating the conveyer belt and grading drum.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. FOLEY. Witnesses:

RAY W. Dononnsrnn, W. 'llorsnnr. 

